The current minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has vowed to recapture every prisoner that escaped from the Abolongo Correctional Centre in Oyo State, southwest Nigeria.
The minister confirmed that 446 out of the 907 inmates escaped from the prison on the 22nd of October 2021. He said this during a visit to the correctional facility to access the facility.
He also noted that 69 of the prisoners didn't escape. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, gunmen who attacked the facility arrived in numbers at about 11 pm on Friday and began to shoot incessantly into the air, causing panic in the neighbourhood.
In the process, the unknown gunmen freed not less than a thousand Inmates, with most running off, while some stayed back.
In the minister's statement while inspecting the facility, he said:
"The spate of attacks on our custodial facilities, the last of which occurred here on Friday night calls for serious concern, first in our society and secondly on your professionalism. This is unacceptable and we are saying enough is enough."
"I'm assuring Nigerians that the Federal Government will pursue not just those who attacked our facility, but those who have escaped lawful custody."
"The attack was unconscionable, I commend officers of the Nigeria Correctional Service and other members of sister security agencies who provided perimeter security for our facility for fighting gallantly and holding the fort before the attackers were able to gain access to the awaiting trial section of the facility, however, those who escaped are already being pursued. Some have been rearrested, many more will still be captured," the minister added.
The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, after an on-the-spot assessment of the federal government facility, ordered the immediate installation of security cameras in the centre, with all cameras connecting to the Security Control Room in Ibadan.
Tags:
news